Critical bystander arrested; body-camera video shows incident

NEW HAVEN — A 25-year-old man who claims, along with witnesses, that he was wrongly arrested and treated violently by police, tells a much different story than a police report released Thursday.

The report lists the victim as “society” and states that Jerome Richardson of Oakville is charged with disorderly conduct and interfering with police after he loudly tried to interrupt a warrant being served on another man whom he didn’t know. Richardson was released on a promise to appear in court.

The incident occurred in front of the Chapel Street bus terminal on the Green where police were arresting another party on a warrant and questioning another about public drinking. There were four police officers there, witnesses said.

Richardson, who was at the bus stop talking to a friend , began distracting and needling police. He was warned to stop, but kept it up, the report says.

At some point, a police officer gave him directions to move, and Richardson said, “Nah, nah,” according to the report.

While police were trying to serve a warrant, Richardson said things such as “this is wrong,” “damn cops harassing people,” “You’re putting people in cuffs without reading them their rights,” and questioning why police were making the arrest. Richardson spoke so loudly, police said, his voice could be heard over idling buses and passing traffic. The incident occurred at about 5 p.m.

When Richardson, who weighs 140 pounds and is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, wouldn’t comply with orders to stop, a police officer tried to move him by putting a hand on Richardson’s chest, but he slapped the officer’s hand, according to the report. Another officer tried to put a hand on the other side of Richardson’s chest, but he tightened his arms and wouldn’t put them behind his back.

That’s when an officer swept Richardson off his feet, putting him face-down on the pavement. He still refused to put his hands behind his back, so officers got his hands from underneath his body, and calmly, gently put them behind his back to cuff him.

A police body-camera video released by police is consistent with that information. The video shows police did not assault him in any way — and Richardson kept saying loudly that he wasn’t resisting arrest.

But the witness/friend of Richardson, Kerry Ellington, who called Richardson a community activist, said Richardson was merely talking to her — about not having to answer police questions in general — when they took him down.

Ellington said she knows Richardson from the New Haven group, “Youth Rights Media,” described on their Facebook page as a “nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth to become leaders in their communities. YRM builds youth power by providing opportunities for civic engagement and teaching media production, equipping young people with the tools, skills and strategies for creating social change.”

The New Haven Independent reported that Assistant Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said the department is reviewing the incident.

Ellington said Richardson had a tooth knocked loose and was bleeding.

Richardson, Ellington and Carmody said they filed excessive-force complaints against the officers Thursday.